SailorSister!
by Scooter
Summary: A Side Story to An American Dragon in Nerima What if Ranma had decided he's had enough and leaves...and just happens to rescue and fall in love with the Senshi of Time? Obvious R.5SM xover set after ADIM 9 Chapter 6
1. Chaptre the 1st

AN:  For consistency's sake, Haruka and Michiru are the same age as Ranma.  Everything I ever learned about Bishoujo Sailor Senshi, I learned by reading fanfiction.  So sue me for any and all OOC goodness that'll appear.  By the way, I don't own any of the characters in here except for my own.  The cast of Ranma ½ and Bishoujo Sailor Senshi are being perverted for my own amusement.  Viz, Ms. Takahashi, Ms. Takeuchi, Bandai, Toei Animation, and DiC can attempt to sue me, but since the military doesn't get paid very well, they ain't gonna get much.

_Uranus the Magician_, from **The Planets** by Gustav Holst

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Nerima Ward, Tokyo 

Ranma was having a bad day.  It was, to be blunt, the worst day in the young martial artist's eighteen years.  The boilers at Furinkan were being repaired, so no hot water.  That wasn't too bad, since he was barely able to avoid getting wet through most of the day.  That is until his fourth class when the science lab blew up again, so the sprinklers throughout the school kicked on.  No hot water meant Ranma-onna for the rest of the day.  He couldn't be sure if he'd get hit with cold water again to change back.  He'd forgotten his lunch, and was forced to eat what concoction that Akane had "enhanced" in Home Economics (Something simple like spaghetti); of course his "loving" fiancée threw a fit (and a mallet) when he passed out from food poisoning.  Throw in one wannabe samurai/college student spouting bad poetry and asking Ranma-onna out on a date, and you now have the recipe for an explosion of epic proportions.  

She walked through the gates of the Tendo compound, and nodded to Kasumi as she hung the laundry out to dry.  "Konnichiwa, Ranma.  The kettle's already hot on the stove."

"Thanks Kasumi."  Walking into the house, Ranma was presented by his usual dilemma.  He had feelings for the eldest Tendo that went beyond mere friendship, or even as siblings.  But she was in love with another man, an American _gaijin_, one of the other Tendo houseguests stationed at Yokota with the American Air Force.  In a way, though, he was happy for her.  At least with someone like Lt. Marx, she wouldn't have to put up with the same crazy life that Ranma had.  No martial artists challenging him, no kidnappings, no fiancées, none of the day to day chaos that marked the life of one Ranma Saotome.  At least that was what he hoped for Dai Ryuujin no Nishi.  Pouring the water on himself, he returned to his regular form, and trudged upstairs.  "I hate my life sometimes," Ranma muttered as he walked past Nabiki's room.

"Why's that, Saotome?"

Ranma jumped.  He was so engrossed in his sudden bout of self-pity, that he didn't hear the Ice Queen, home for the weekend from Todai.  "Oh, nothing, Nabiki.  Just thinking out loud."  She grabbed the martial artist's arm and pulled him into her room.  "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Shut up, Saotome," Nabiki said as she closed the door.  "I saw what's gotten into you today.  I know you need a break, Saotome.  If you don't, you're going to crack under the stress.  I don't want to be around when that happens.  And frankly, I don't want my family around when it happens.  So I'm going to help you escape.  If you leave tonight, I'll cover for you."

Ranma reached into his pockets and began pulling out yen.  For the first time that he knew her, Nabiki put her hand on his wrist, stopping him.  "I know you think you love my sister, Ranma.  But she's a violent maniac.  And you bear the brunt of her violence whether you are at fault or not.  She'll never be the martial artist that you are, and is extremely jealous of that."  Ranma nodded, as he remembered the number of times his fiancée had hit him with a convenient hard surface or Mallet-sama.  She smiled at him, without a hint of the usual gleam of when she's scamming him.  "And," she sighed, "I love you."  Ranma went slack-jaw, until she hit him in the shoulder.  She meant what she said, but she really didn't want Ranma to know that she had a crush on his cursed form.  "Not like that, you baka.  I love you like a brother and a sister.  Despite the chaos that you and that gluttonous panda of a father brought to our household, despite the moneymaking schemes that I used you for, this is on the house.  You don't need to pay me to do this."

Ranma gave her that smile—the one that makes all the girls weak in the knees—and Nabiki was not immune to it.  "Thanks Nabiki, I'll make it up to you somehow."

"Just do this for me, Saotome-kun.  Just let me know how you're doing, when you get there, wherever you are going."  Nabiki gave Ranma her cell phone number and a calling card.

"I will Nabiki," Ranma said.  He turned and left her room…and right into his "loving" fiancée.

"Ranma, what were you doing in oneechan's room?"

"N-nothing Akane."  The flustered martial artist stammered.

"Bullshit, Ranma.  I'll bet you were doing something perverted with her."

"Ranma and I were discussing something about the debt that he owes me," Nabiki said, rescuing him.  "I've already got someone."  She smiled at her baby sister.  "Besides, he's not my type."

"What do you mean, 'Not my type'?"

"75 thousand yen, Imouto-chan.  I value my privacy as much as the next person."

"I…I can't afford that."

"Then I'm not saying.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date to get ready for."  Nabiki spun on her heel and went back into her room.  Ranma had, during the discussion, taken the opportunity to slip away using a Saotome Secret Technique.  This left Akane standing there, her jaw on the floor.

Later that night, long after everyone had gone to bed, Ranma slipped out of the room he shared with his panda of a father, and made his way over the gate, his rucksack slung over his shoulder.  Only one person was still awake to notice him leaving.  "Damn you Ranma Saotome," Nabiki said quietly, turning away from the window as a tear slipped down her cheek.  She looked at her ledger and, with a red pencil, crossed out "**Saotome, R. - ¥500,000**".  "Damn you for ever coming into my life.  And damn me for not accepting the engagement."

  
------  
Juban District, Tokyo

It was a gorgeous Saturday morning that found Ranma in front of his home.  Cautiously, the pig-tailed martial artist made his way into the yard, remembering what would happen if his mother found out about him.  But that was why he was here.  The whisper of a vaguely familiar ki signature tickled the back of his mind as he walked towards the front door.  Ranma spun around just in time to catch the katana blade in his hands.  "Mom?"

"Ranma?"  Nodoka said, letting the pressure on sword lighten.  "What are you doing here?"

He released his hold on the sword blade, and let his pack slide off his shoulders.  "I needed to get out of Nerima, Mom.  To get away from Akane, and everyone, before I did something that I'd regret."

"How so?"  His mother asked, as she led him into the house.

Ranma gave a sardonic chuckle.  "I've become too good, Mom.  It's like I can beat someone with just one punch or kick."  His next statement was said without pride or ego, just as fact.  "I'm the best martial artist in the world.  No thanks to Oyaji and his 'ideas'. But the pressure that made me the best hasn't let up once.  I was afraid I was going to crack and hurt someone close to me."

Nodoka had walked her son into the house, listening to what her "darling" husband had done to their son while on their training trip.  From Jusenkyo and the curses down to selling him for a bowl of rice, pickles, and two fish; the Neko-Ken training had turned his mother green, and the Amazon problem was also blamed on the panda's stomach.  All the fiancées, the suitors, the madness that is Furinkan High; with a cup of cold water, he demonstrated his curse…and waited to feel the sting of cold steel through her neck.  (AN: If you really need to know, go rent the series. ^_^)  His mother actually smiled at her son turned daughter.  "You look so much like your twin sister, Ranma.  I don't know why I didn't recognize you all those times you were hiding as 'Ranko'."

"Sister?  I have a twin sister?"  Ranma asked, after he picked himself up off the floor.  

------

In the middle of a practice race she had led for several laps that virtually guaranteed her the pole, a certain blonde tomboy started on a sneezing fit, causing her to lose control and spin out in the infield.  Her crew chief got an earful of curses over the radio, some which would make a sailor blush.  
  


------

Nodoka nodded.  "Yes, you do."  His mother sat down, placing the Saotome katana on the coffee table.  "Your father never wanted a daughter.  Genma was elated when he found out that I was having twins.  I never told him that the doctor told me that I was to have fraternal twins.  He immediately went out with Soun and toasted his good fortune.

"Nine months later, when you and your sister were born, Genma was a little more than disappointed.  He was furious; accused me of infidelity.  Especially when you have the mop of raven black hair, and your sister is a blonde.  Demanded a paternity test right then and there.  And apologized three days later when the results showed that he was indeed fathered both of you.  But then he wanted me to give your sister up for adoption."

"So what happened to her?"  Ranma asked, the shock that he has a sister receding.

"She was adopted by the Ten'ou clan, here in Juban.  Her parents and I kept in touch until they died in a car accident.  I lost touch with her after then."

"Wow.  I have a sister.  Mom, who was born first, me or my sister?"

"You haven't even met her yet, and you're interested in a sibling rivalry?"  Nodoka chuckled as her son gave her an eye.  "Your sister was.  That was what got your father started about you two not being his."

"I still can't believe that I have sister."  Ranma said again, in a bit of a daze.  He was shaken out of his daze by remembering to do something.  "Mom, I need to use the phone."  Nodoka nodded, pointing into the kitchen.  Her son went in and dialed up Nabiki.  "Nabiki, its Ranma…I'm at Mom's…I have a favor to ask…Just add it to my debt…Don't tell anyone in the Wrecking Crew where I am…Yeah, you can let Christopher-san and Kasumi know, though…Ok, so it's a couple of favors, do what you usually do… Thanks a lot.  Bye."

"What was that all about, Ranma?"

"I usually have to use Nabiki's services to disappear from time to time.  If I go out on a training trip, I usually don't get any training done at all."  Ranma sat heavily on his mother's couch.  "Because Akane will come because she thinks she'll be able to cook for me.  Oyaji and Mr. Tendo'll come, dragging Kasumi along with them so they don't have to suffer Akane's cooking.  Kasumi will bring her fiancé with her so she doesn't get lonely.  And then the rest of the Wrecking Crew'll follow also.

"Last time I was on a training trip, all I got out of it was a sore back, thanks to Ryouga.  And a sore head courtesy of Mallet-sama."

"I see," Nodoka said quietly, as she stood.  "Ranma, I have some errands to run.  Why don't you get reacquainted with your home."

"Sure Mom.  Thanks."

"'Thanks'?  For what Ranma?"

"For not invoking the seppuku pledge when you found out about my curse."  

Nodoka looked quizzically at her son.  "Why would I do such a thing, Ranma?"

"Because I'm cursed to spend half my life as a girl; I'm not the 'man amongst men' that you wanted me to be."

"Ranma, I made that pledge so that your father would keep himself in line.  I was wrong about that, but you have turned out for the better, even with, what did you call him…ah yes 'that damned panda', as your only role model."  Nodoka smiled at her son, told him that there was food in the kitchen and went out.  The smile, though, didn't have much amusement to it.

  
------

Haruka Ten'ou walked back into the house she shared with Michiru, Setsuna, and Hotaru.  She stalked into the living room, her face covered in soot and dirt, still growling about losing the race.  Michiru looked at her lover.  "What happened," she asked Haruka.

The blonde tomboy replied succinctly.  "I lost.  I lost control and spun out into the infield.  Managed to get back into the race, though, and place in the top ten for tomorrow's race.  But I still didn't do as well as I was until I started sneezing.  And you know how much I hate not doing my best."  Haruka flopped down onto the couch, and let out an exasperated sigh.  "It was almost as if someone was talking about me."

The aquamarine-tressed violinist smiled.  "You know what you need, lover, is a nice long soak in the furo and a rubdown.  It'll relieve the tension from the race.  Besides, Hotaru is studying with Ami and Setsuna is…well, somewhere."

Haruka grinned.  "I wash your back, you wash mine?"  She asked, the hint of a tease in her voice.  Michiru's reply was whispered in her ear, causing Haruka to smile bigger.

*          *          *

Setsuna sat before the Gates of Time, her head in her hand, nursing a migraine of Jovian scale.  Something was not right with the time stream, and she was feeling it.  She looked up in time to see the image in the gates go fuzzy for a moment, then clear.  She scanned ahead to Crystal Tokyo and saw that the future was secure, but almost not in the way she had been planning and conniving and scheming since the downfall of the Silver Millennium.  The Guardian of Time scanned further and saw…him.  "Oh no," she muttered.  "It can't be him."  She saw an infamous pig-tailed martial artist talking with Uranus…who had grown her hair out into a pigtail as well, so the two looked like twins.  Her eyes grew as large as saucers when she saw her future self walk into the scene and begin talking with the pig-tailed martial artist.  Setsuna also caught the glint of a gold wedding band on the third finger of her right hand.  "Dear Goddess, I didn't."  The way her future self was looking at the pig-tailed martial artist confirmed her suspicions.

The Senshi of Time teleported back to the house in Juban and walked out of her room, massaging her temple.  Her migraine had gone from Jovian to Solar with what the Time Gate showed her.  It didn't help her that when she scanned back in time, her meeting up with the avatar of Chaos would help to bring forth a slightly different Crystal Tokyo.  Walking past the furo, she heard Haruka and Michiru enjoying each other's company.  Shaking her head, Setsuna slowly made her way down to the kitchen to find the aspirin.  Swallowing the pills dry, Setsuna went into the living room and settled down on the couch.  Ignoring the sudden squeals of fan service delight coming from the bathroom, the eldest Senshi closed her eyes, and tried to will her migraine away.  Even with Stravinsky's **Firebird** playing in the background, the noises of her two housemates was just too much for her pounding head.

Walking down the street, Setsuna was lost in her thoughts as to just why she was destined to be with "him".  Her migraine began to clear as she breathed in the fresh air, and let the sun rejuvenate her.  So deep in her thoughts, she didn't notice the red light or the Mitsubishi Fuso tractor-trailer bearing down on her until the air horn started blaring.  The Senshi of Time froze and looked up at her impending demise.  _How ironic_, she thought, _to have survived millennia, only to be taken out by a tractor-trailer._

------

Ranma was walking down the street, getting his bearings for Juban.  He'd seen and felt a tractor-trailer blow by him, but ignored it, until he heard the air horn.  The pig-tailed martial artist saw what was about to happen and leapt into action.

Aerial combat is a Saotome School specialty, which also lends itself to spectacular rescue attempts.  So it was no surprise that Ranma leapt into the air, to cover the remaining forty or so meters between himself and the front of the truck.  Bouncing off buildings, poles and cars like a crazed Ping Pong ball, brought him to the green-haired girl—no, not a girl; definitely a woman.  He swept her up in his arms and leapt over the truck, to a nearby roof.

Setsuna braced herself for what would be the last sensation of her life—the impact of the tractor against her body.  She closed her eyes and imagined the painful kiss of the steel bumper and grille, the flow of the air as her soon-to-be lifeless body flies through the air.

She felt a pair of muscular arms wrap themselves around her body, and the feeling of weightlessness as they flew through the air.  She snuggled deeper into the firm chest, enjoying the feeling, yet still a little concerned.  She felt the movement stop, and she opened her eyes.  A pair of blue-gray orbs looked down on her with concern.  "Um, are you alright?"  The owner of those eyes asked, cautiously.  Setsuna nodded, not quite trusting her voice.  

Ranma set her gently on her feet, leaving a hand on her shoulder to help steady the young woman he had just rescued from certain death.  She looked back at him, and a smile crept on to her serious face.  Ranma replied with his own nervous smile—the one that makes all the girls weak in the knees—and Setsuna was falling for it as well.  "Thank you…" Setsuna said, trailing off.  _Please, don't be him.  Goddess, please not him._  The Kami, however, were not as forgiving as the Senshi of Time hoped.

"Ranma.  Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts.  Pleased to meet'cha."  He put a hand on the back of his head, and scratched the base of his pigtail.  

"Setsuna Meiou.  And the pleasure is mine, Ranma.  Thank you for rescuing me."  Setsuna's crimson eyes betrayed nothing about what the future would hold.  Behind her eyes, the Senshi of Time was suffering from her frayed nerves.  Between what the Time Gates showed her and almost being turned into road pizza, then being rescued by the one who was supposed to be her fiancé, the calm façade was beginning spider web.

"It was nothing.  'The duty of a martial artist is to protect the weak.'"  He replied.  The phrase sounded like he'd heard it before.

She looked down at the street below them.  "Ranma, how do we get down?"

The pig-tailed martial artist gave Setsuna a nervous smile, then swept the Senshi up in his arms again.  "Sorry 'bout this," he said.  With a start, Setsuna started to squirm out of his arms as Ranma ran towards the edge of the roof.  "Don't move, just relax.  Besides, who said we were going down?  Which way is your house?"  She pointed to an approximate location; she wasn't too sure with directions looking at rooftops of Juban.  Ranma nodded, and they leapt off the roof.  Setsuna wrapped her arms around his neck as the feeling of weightlessness returned.  The two of them bounced across the roofs of Juban, back towards the house Pluto shared with the rest of the Outers.

  
------

"Man, its good to be home," Ranma said to no one in particular as he walked into his mother's house.  He paused in mid-step.  _Wait a minute.  I haven't been here even a full day, and already I think of it as "home" and not the Tendos.  What's missing to make this a home anyway?_  His stomach made itself known in its known.  His feet automatically responded by taking the young martial artist to the kitchen.  As he fixed a light snack, his mind continued its musings.  _Oh yes, I haven't had to worry about Akane hitting me over a misinterpreted comment, Oyaji and Mr. Tendo haven't bugged me about the agreement or my honor.  Ryouga hasn't found me yet, and is probably somewhere in Africa by now.  Shampoo and Ukyo haven't a clue as to where I am.  Life is good._

Nodoka walked into the house, and was immediately and pleasantly assaulted by the aromas of Ranma's snack.  Entering the kitchen, his mother saw the remnants of enough food to feed a pro football team.  "Oh…Hi Mom," the pig-tailed martial artist said sheepishly.  He started to sweat, since his mother caught him doing something she might consider "unmanly".

"I didn't know you could cook, Ranma."

Her son's hand shot straight up to the base of his pigtail.  There were unfortunate circumstances, since Ranma forgot that he had a raw egg in it.  "Um, I didn't tell you because I thought that you'd think it 'unmanly' of me," he replied, egg yolk now running down the back of his neck.

Sighing, Nodoka replied.  "Let me guess where you heard that—from your father, correct?"  

Ranma nodded.  "His cooking was never the greatest, so when I was able to, I started cooking.  Baka Panda'd tell me I was girly, and would make a good wife for some salary man.  Of course it didn't stop him from eating what I cooked."

Nodoka muttered something disparaging about her husband's ancestry, before continuing.  "My son, a manly man is not only an excellent fighter, but a man who is well versed in many disciplines.  The Art is just one discipline; being able to cook or discuss literature or the act of pleasuring a woman all fall under being a 'manly' man.  And it seems to me that your idiot father only focused on the Art.  And we will rectify that."

Nodding, Ranma tried to hide his blush.  Genma never bothered to give Ranma "the speech", and now he was going to get it from his mother.  He also tried, with a little more success, at ignoring the oozing feeling of the egg yolk under his silk shirt.  "Oh, I get your point, Mom."  He squirmed a little, causing the yolk to slide further down his back.  "I, uh, I need to go get some egg off my back."  He motioned to the remaining spread of food.  "I think I left enough.  Feel free to help yourself Mom."

"Of course, my son.  Enjoy your bath.  But we will have _that_ talk."  Ranma could feel a drop of sweat forming on the back of his neck that could float an aircraft carrier.

In a different part of Juban, another person lay on her bed, reflecting on the events of the morning.  Handel's **Water Music** playing in the background allowed her a pleasant focus for her reflections.  There was a knock on the door.  "Setsuna, are you alright?"  Haruka asked, sticking her head through the door.

The green haired Senshi looked at her housemate.  "I'm fine.  I just need some time alone."

The blonde tomboy entered the room.  "Uh huh, sure.  I know that look.  Would you like to talk about it?"

Setsuna rolled over and faced the window.  Sighing, she said, "The Time Gate showed me something that I didn't think would ever happen to me.  I was scanning ahead to Crystal Tokyo, because the time stream didn't feel right.  I saw you talking with someone in the Palace; a pig-tailed martial artist."

"What's so depressing about that?"

"As you were talking to him, I—I mean my future self—walked into the picture, and I saw a wedding band on my finger."  Setsuna unconsciously rubbed the finger where she saw the ring, almost as if she'd lost it.

"So you got married.  Big deal, it happens when two people fall in love."  Haruka said as she sat on the edge of the bed.  "Why has that got you worked up?"

"Three reasons, Haruka.  One, I was never supposed to get married.  Two, he's an avatar of Chaos.  Where ever he goes, something is bound to happen, for good or ill."  _Should I spring the third reason on her?_  Pluto asked herself.  _I shouldn't; since I don't even know really what their relationship is, even though they might be twins.  I'll have to look up how Haruka was reborn as a twin._

"That's only two, Setsuna.  What's the third?"

Setsuna sat up on the bed and looked at the blonde tomboy.  "That…is a secret, Haruka."

"Don't tell me you've been reading Rei's manga.  And does this mysterious avatar of chaos have a name?"

"No, I have not been reading Rei's manga.  And his name is Ranma Saotome."

"'Ranma Saotome'?  'The' Ranma Saotome?  He's like some martial arts god."  Haruka began enthusiastically bouncing up and down, like a kid on a sugar high about to meet her idol.

"Haruka, could you please calm down?  I'm not Michiru, so you don't have to try to entice me," the Senshi of Time said.  

"Sorry, Setsuna."  Haruka stopped.  "I heard he took down a kami to save one of his fiancées."

Setsuna's eyebrow went up.  "One of his fiancées?"  _When I find him, I am going to give him such a thrashing, that he'll remember it long into the next millennium._

"Yeah.  Supposedly he has four fiancées."  Haruka shook her head.  "Of course, those could be just the rumors spread by disappointed fans of his.

"So how do you know he's Ranma Saotome?"

With a sigh, Setsuna sat back against her pillows.  "I went for a walk after what the Time Gate showed me.  I…was distracted and didn't see the tractor-trailer that almost hit me.  He's the one that rescued me.  We introduced ourselves…on the roof of a nearby building…and chatted very briefly.  Then he brought me home.  And we talked a little more.  He filled me in on some of his life."

Haruka was ecstatic.  "I can't believe you actually talked to Ranma."

Setsuna arched a green-colored eyebrow.  "Haruka, you sound like Makoto or Minako, going on about some guy."

"Hey!"  Haruka said, defensively.  "I'm not like one those love struck Inners mooning over every guy."

"No," Setsuna countered with a smirk, "you just do it with every girl.  Does Michiru know?"

The blonde raised her own eyebrow.  "Are you feeling alright Setsuna?  You just made a joke."

"I'm feeling fine, Haruka.  I _do_ have a sense of humor.  I just choose not to exercise it all the time."

Haruka snorted.  "Sure.  Anyway, are you going to see him again?  And do you think he's a threat to Crystal Tokyo?"

"I don't know.  I don't even now where he lives.  And for all I know, Haruka, he probably doesn't even remember me.  And since I saw him _in_ Crystal Tokyo, I doubt he's a threat to the future."

  
-----

Sitting in the bathtub, Ranma sneezed.  "Bless you," Nodoka said as she walked past the bathroom.

"Thanks Mom," the pig-tailed martial artist said, as he sank further in the tub.  Already his mother's influence was overriding ten years of his father's training.  In just a few short hours, since Ranma entered his home, he'd become more polite, better mannered.  His thoughts though, were pointing towards the emerald haired woman he'd saved earlier that day.  He closed his eyes and remembered the way she looked as the tractor was bearing down on her—utterly fearless, as though she was ready to meet her maker.  He remembered how soft she felt in his arms, the way she smelled of jasmine, the way her ruby eyes captured his soul.  "Kawaii," he said quietly.  _I doubt she'll even remember me, even if I go over to her place._  He sank deeper into the tub, until just from his nose up was above the water.  The hot water soaked out the frustrations and aches from this afternoon's rescue.  _Baka!  Why can't I ever have a normal conversation with someone?  Besides she has a cuter smile than Akane.  What the hell am I going to do?  Do I really love Akane anymore?  Mallet-sama is beginning to frighten me now.  Feh, listen to me.  Akane'd really think I'm a pervert for thinking this.  I need some advise on this._  Ranma stood, got out of the tub, and toweled off.  Dressing in his trademark red Chinese shirt and black pants, he went to track down his mother.  Which wasn't hard, when Ranma heard the sound of a whetstone against a steel blade.

"What can I do for you, Ranma," Nodoka asked, as she saw her son leaning against the entryway to her room.

"Mom, I've got a problem."

"Is it a new fiancée that your father sold you to?"  There was a hardness in her voice that reflected her katana.

"No, no, no, nothing like that," Ranma said, as he held up his hands in a warding gesture.  "Well…there is a girl involved though."  Nodoka motioned for him to sit and listened while her son told his not-so-tragic tale from earlier that day.

"Ranma," Nodoka asked, "do you love any of your fiancées?"

The pig-tailed martial artist looked at his mother and sighed.  "Ucchan, well, I've always thought of as my best friend and a guy.  Marrying her would be like marrying my bro…er, sister.  Shampoo is too…bubbly for my tastes, and living as an Amazon husband would be the death of me, since Amazon males can't train in the more advanced techniques.  Akane…" Ranma suppressed a shudder.  "Akane has too many strikes against her for me even considering marrying, Mom.  She hits me with the nearest convenient blunt object, misunderstands anything I say, can't cook, can't swim, can't fight, and doesn't even know that Ryouga is P-chan.  And for some odd reason baka oyaji and Mr. Tendo think I love her, just because of the fight with Saffron.  I thought I loved her once, after I killed Saffron, but she has too many checks in the minus column, and not enough in the positive.  Gah, I sound like Nabiki talking about my debts."  Ranma was inwardly shocked at how easily he said "love", now that he didn't have to deal with the insanity of the Tendo house, or the fathers.  "As for Nabiki and Kasumi, I like to think of both of them as my big sisters.  And Kasumi is in love with an American stationed at Yokota, and I'm not Nabiki's 'type'.  Whatever that means."

"I thought so.  A manly man is one who sees than an abusive relationship, which has tried to be corrected several times, should end it as quickly as possible.  And your father and Tendo-san haven't been helping, forcing you and Akane to get married at the drop of a hat, just to end the other engagements.

"Let me ask you something, my son:  Do you think that you might fall in love with this girl that you just met today?"  

Ranma sat there, collecting his thoughts.  He looked at his mother.  Nodoka sat there with the family katana resting across her knees, the blade reflecting the dim lighting.  "Mom…I don't know.  It's like…I can't get Setsuna, that's the girl's name, out of my mind, my thoughts.  There's something about her that captured my heart after I rescued her."

Nodoka smiled.  "You have my permission then to court her."  _And maybe I'll finally get some grandchildren to spoil now._  "Now then Ranma, about your schooling…" The pig-tailed martial artist groaned.  
  
  



	2. Chaptre the 2nd

Saotome Residence

Tuesday Morning

"Ranma."  No answer.  "Ranma!"  Still no answer.  "Ranma, wake up!"  Nodoka opened the door to her son's room and saw that he wasn't there.  Quickly searching the house, she found Ranma in the yard working through his katas.  

Ranma moved with such a fluid grace that made what he did that it could be called a dance…a ballet.  Nodoka watched the way her son moved from one form to another—forms she'd seen Genma do, as well as forms she hadn't.  Elements of various fighting styles were seen as Ranma danced his way, fighting an invisible opponent.  Using nothing recognizable or consistent while using your opponent's fighting style against them was the hallmark of the "Anything Goes" style.  He finished his kata by launching into the air with a kick that would have taken the head off his opponent followed by a tuck and a roll into a fighting stance.

Nodoka applauded as her son finished.  Ranma bowed to his mother, then spoiled the formality of the moment by assuming his usual embarrassed look.  "Ranma," she said, "there's nothing that you did would warrant embarrassment.  You should be proud of what you do.  You've made the Art into an artform.  Some of the moves I saw were your father's, but you moved with such a grace that your father would never be able to match you.

"Now go get ready.  Breakfast will be ready shortly, and you have an appointment with your guidance counselor before class.  And I want you to tell your counselor about _all_ of your…problems."

"Gotcha, Mom."  

_I'm glad I didn't tell him that his guidance counselor might be the woman he started pining over._  Nodoka thought, as she watched her son head to the bathroom.  _Hopefully by him getting his problems out in the open early on, this Setsuna won't reject him like Akane did._  
  


  
------  
Juban High School

Setsuna walked into the guidance office of Juban High, ever-present cup of tea in hand.  She nodded to the secretary as head towards her office.  "Your seven thirty was just here, Meiou-sensei.  He said he had to visit the lavatory."

The green-haired guidance counselor nodded.  The file for the new transfer student was to arrive from Furinkan some time during the day, if Principal Kuno was going to release it.  "When he comes back, send him right in," she said as she went into her office and closed the door.  She had seen Ranma's life through the Time Gates after she'd talked with Haruka, and saw that her future fiancé's life wasn't a bowl of cherries.  At various points, she'd wanted to interfere, to prevent that pathetic excuse for a human called his father was going to do.  But her own code of noninterference prevented her from doing so.  Especially since the last time she interfered with the timestream, the result was the firebombing of Tokyo.  And what she had seen proved that he was a more than capable martial artist.  Fortunately, her migraine had dropped to a more manageable, Mercurian-level.  Turning her chair around, so she could look out on the athletic fields, she reflected that Ranma had also taken on a minor Kami when he fought, and defeated, Saffron.  He wasn't a reborn Senshi, he wasn't a demigod; for all intents and purposes, Ranma Saotome was an above average human male with an extraordinary skill at fighting, _and_ just happened to be related to the Senshi of Uranus.

She heard the door to her office open, then close.  "Sensei," she heard him say.  It was time to pay the piper.  The transfer from Furinkan, the "Wild Stallion", was here.

Setsuna steeled her voice.  Going into full "Guidance Counselor from Hell" mode, more like it.  "Mr. Saotome.  You are five minutes late for this appointment.  I don't know what kind of hi-jinks you got away with at Furinkan, but the faculty at Juban expect our students to be on time for class or appointments."

"Hai, Sensei."

"Now that that is out of the way, please, have a seat.  So that we can move on with your entrance to Juban High School, and any problems you might have."  Setsuna swiveled around and looked at the flustered young martial artist.  In a softer voice, she said, with a smile "Hello Ranma.  I'd hoped to see you again."  If anything, the flustered martial artist became a little more flustered.

"Uh…Hi, Setsuna.  Why didn't you tell me you were a guidance counselor?"

Setsuna smiled.  It seemed she did more of that recently since meeting a particular harbinger of Chaos now sitting across from her.  And contrary to what Rei thought about her, Setsuna's face didn't crack when she smiled.  "Because you didn't ask, Ranma.

"Now then, Ranma," Setsuna leaned over the desk, "from what I understand, you had some problems at your old high school.  I have some very good information about them, and I need to know about anything that might make your classes here…awkward.  And I know you told me some of them the other night on the stoop of my house.  I'd like to know all about you.  _All_ about you."

Ranma sighed.  His mom told him to tell the guidance counselor everything.  And it helped that.  "Where to begin?  Well, I told you about the training trip that Oyaji took me on, right?"  Setsuna nodded, and Ranma continued.  "Well, there were a few things I left out…" For the next hour or so, Ranma filled his crush-_cum_-guidance counselor in on the aspects of his life that he'd left out the other night, which included a demonstration of the curse.  "…Which led me to leaving the Dojo the other night and moving back in with my mother."  _Wow!  She didn't call me a pervert or freak once.  Maybe I can find happiness away from the Tendos.  She doesn't look like a martial artist though, but Mom wouldn't mind if I fell in love with her._

Setsuna sat there, listening to his story.  Even though she didn't doubt the Time Gates, everything he said confirmed exactly what the Gates had shown her.  In a case of _déjà vu_ that seemed frighteningly familiar, the Senshi of Time said: "That's not a problem.  There have been other students with similar problems as you, although the curse does make it a little more interesting.  We will have to exempt you from certain athletic activities.  And your fiancées won't be allowed on to the campus without a pass."  _I wonder how Haruka will take finding out her brother turns into her sister with cold water?  Four fiancées?  I want him all to myself.  I know it's greedy, but, damnit I'm as human as the next woman._  "There's someone I want you to meet, Ranma."  Setsuna stood, and opened the door to her office.  "Mrs. Takashi, could you have Haruka Ten'ou report to my office, please."  She turned back to Ranma.  "Since we don't have any scores from your old school yet, I'm assigning you to a junior class, with a guide to show you around the school."  There was a knock at the door.  "Come in."

Haruka entered Setsuna's office.  "You wanted to see me?"

"Haruka, I'd like you to meet the person you'll be shadowing for awhile, until they become familiar with Juban High."  She motioned to the person standing next to here.  "Ms. Ten'ou, I'd like you to meet _the_ Ranma Saotome."

Uranus' jaw hit the ground.  "I _cannot_ believe it!  Ranma Saotome is a student here?!"  She began bouncing up and down.

"Um, Ms. Ten'ou," Ranma said, trying to avert his eyes, "could you please stop?"  _Man, I'm glad Ryouga isn't here to see this.  He'd pass out from the nosebleed seeing her doing that._

Haruka calmed down as Setsuna glared at her.  "Haruka," Setsuna said, "you will be Saotome-san's guide as he learns his way around Juban High."

The Senshi of Uranus couldn't contain her enthusiasm.  "Hai, Meiou-sensei."

Setsuna looked at the two students.  "Haruka, I believe you two have gym class.  Have a good day, Ranma.  And welcome to Juban."

"Hai, Sensei," the two students said at the same time.  

As they left her office, Setsuna gave a secret smile as the door closed.  "Juban High is in for a new level of insanity," she said to herself, "and I can't believe I've fallen in love with _him_."

  
-----

Setsuna looked up form her cup of tea as Haruka and Michiru walked into the house.  "So Haruka, how was your first day shepherding Ranma Saotome around?"

"Gym class was impressive.  Lei-sensei was showing us an advanced series of kempo forms, just as a demonstration.  Ranma just yawned and said he learned those forms when he was six.

"Lei-sensei was incensed and demanded to know just who he was.  Ranma replied: 'I'm Ranma Saotome, of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts,' and Lei-sensei actually looked impressed enough to exempt Ranma from the martial arts and gymnastics classes.  A few of the other martial arts students, Makoto especially, looked impressed also.

"What's so special about Anything Goes Martial Arts anyway, Setsuna?"

"The proper name is Musabetsu Kakutou, indiscriminate grappling, and there are only two schools—The Tendo-ryu and the Saotome-ryu.  Both schools do not have set patterns or forms, but incorporate multiple traditional martial arts, and are relatively recent schools, because they were developed from the original Musabetsu Kakutou Happosai-Ryuu."

"So that's why I saw so many different forms when Lei-sensei sparred with Ranma.  Of course, Ranma pointed out Sensei's weaknesses during the match.  Which incensed him, and after a couple of taps, admitted that Ranma was better than he was."

Setsuna chuckled, which sort of surprised Uranus.  But given what happened to the Senshi of Time the other day, Setsuna showing emotion seemed to becoming a more usual occurrence.  "Lei does have an over-inflated idea about his martial arts skills."

Haruka smiled.  "If you thought Ranma taking Lei down was interesting , Setsuna you should have seen him at lunch."

She raised a delicate, green eyebrow.  "Oh?"

"You've seen Usagi eat, right?" Setsuna nodded.  "She has nothing on Ranma, except maybe better manners, and those are just barely.  We had just opened our bento boxes before his he was finished with his.

"When we looked at him, do you know what he said?"  The green-haired Senshi shook her head.  "'Do I have rice on my face?'"

Setsuna shook her head while the butch Outer laughed.  "Looks like I'm going to have to housebreak your bro…" She clammed up faster than any other time before.

Haruka fixed the usually enigmatic Senshi a glare.  "What did you say?"

"That I'll have to housebreak him."

"But what did you call him right after that?"

Setsuna sighed.  "Haruka, there are some things you should now about our new student."  _And my soulmate_, she thought.  "Ranma Saotome is your brother, Haruka.  Your twin brother."

Haruka shook her head.  "No way.  My parents weren't able to have children.  That's why they adopted me."

Setsuna looked at her housemate.  "Haruka, sit down."  She did as ordered.  "Tea?"  Haruka declined.  "Let me tell you a little story.

"20 years ago, there was a young woman who married a wandering martial artist.  Her family, which extends back to the founding days of the Tokugawa era, grudgingly allowed them to marry, providing that her husband take her clan name; which he did.  After trying for two years, the couple finally conceived a child, more specifically, two children.  The young woman was ecstatic that she was going to have two healthy children, but was concerned because she was going to have a daughter.  That she kept from her husband until nine months later.

"Her husband was furious when their children were born, because his daughter had a shock of blonde hair.  He demanded a paternity test that day.  Accused his wife of infidelity; and quieted his complaints when the test proved that she was his daughter.  But at his insistence, his wife placed their daughter up for adoption.  A grateful family, friends of her clan and who had been unable to have children, adopted her, not knowing that their daughter was to be the Senshi of Uranus.  Nor did they let their daughter know that 'Auntie Nodoka' was really her mother."

"So what happened to my brother?  And did Serenity send him forward from the Silver Millennium?"

"Surprisingly enough, Haruka, you were an only child in the Silver Millennium."  Setsuna took a sip of tea to wet her throat while the Uranus contemplated that.  "Where do I begin with Ranma?  I might as well begin at the beginning, even though he'll think I told you what he told me."  _Consequences be damned, his sister needs to know._

"As soon as your brother could walk, your father, Genma, began training Ranma in the family school, Musabetsu Kakutou Saotome-ryu.  When Ranma was six, he and his father left for a ten-year training trip…"

Setsuna described the various training methods, engagements, and tortures that Genma inflicted on Uranus' brother, including the Neko-ken, leading up to "…Genma took Ranma to the Cursed Training Grounds of Jusenkyo, just prior to their return to Japan."

"Cursed training grounds," Haruka asked.  Setsuna nodded.  "What kind of idiot would go there?"  
  
-----

In Nerima, somewhere deep in the Amazon River basin, China, and at Yokota Air Base, there were several distinct sneezes.  
-----

"Your father," she simply replied.  Haruka felt a large drop of sweat form on the back of her head.  "Genma can't read a lick of Mandarin, but when he saw 'Training Ground', he thought it was a good idea to use."

"So what happened?"

"Your father, suffice to say, fell into Shonmaoniichuan—Spring of Drowned Giant Panda.  Your brother was knocked into Nyanniichuan—Spring of Drowned Young Girl.  When they get wet, Ranma and your father turn into a buxom teenage girl and a giant panda."

Haruka shook her head in disbelief.  "Setsuna, you have got to be shitting me.  Curses? Magical transformation?  Quit pulling my leg."

"And magical girls who fight youma on a regular basis aren't?"  The Senshi of Time smirked.

"Ok, ok.  You got me there.  So, when do I get to meet my brother?"

Setsuna smiled.  "I'll call him later and invite him out for a date."

Haruka tsked.  "Did you take advantage of your duties as Ranma's counselor today?"

"That…is a secret."  Haruka groaned.  "And don't you have homework to do?"  Setsuna grinned into her teacup.  _It's nice being the only Senshi not in high school._  
  


-----  
Saotome Residence  
Same time

"Taidama," Ranma shouted as he walked into his home.

"Hello Ranma, I'm in the kitchen.  How was school?"  Nodoka asked as her son entered their kitchen.

"Not bad.  Didn't even get into a fight today.  Which surprised even me."

"Yes, Juban High School tends to have a lower…delinquency rate than Furinkan."  His mother said, as she smiled into her teacup.  She dropped her smile.  "Ranma, Shampoo and Ukyo were here, looking for you.  I told them that you were on a training trip in Korea."

Ranma slumped in his seat.  "Kuso.  That means that Pop and Mr. Tendo'll be coming soon, looking to drag me back to the Dojo and," he shuddered, "Akane.

"I like it here, for Pete's sake.  I haven't had to put up with the usual crap that I had to in Nerima.  I'd rather stay here.  Looks like my only option is to marry Setsuna."

"And I doubt that would work, my son.  Your father is hell-bent on having you marry a Tendo.  Since Kasumi is engaged to an American and you aren't Nabiki's type, that then leaves Akane.  And if the reactions from your enemies when you and Akane attempted to get married last time are the same, our house and grounds are in danger.

"There are only three viable options.  Either I disown you, effectively making you a ronin, step down as clan head and make you the head of the Saotome clan, or someone adopts you out of the clan.  I'd rather not declare you ronin; that would make marrying this girl you love more difficult, as well as bring shame and dishonor to our family.  And unfortunately, the law won't truly recognize you as clan head until you've at least graduated high school.   All things considered, I'd rather have someone adopt you into their family."  Nodoka thought for a few moments.  "What about this American that Kasumi is engaged to?  Might he be interested in adopting you?"

"But Mom, wouldn't that mean leaving the clan?  The Lieutenant's a nice guy and all, really honorable, but…"

"But whether or not he would like you to take his name or keep yours is entirely up to him.  The other side of the sen, Ranma, is that you wouldn't have to worry about being used in one of your father's schemes or as Master Happosai's creditor."

"I guess so, Mom, but…" Nodoka was saved by the proverbial bell, as the phone started ringing.  As Ranma quieted his argument, his mother got up.

"Moshi, moshi, Saotome residence…So nice to hear from you again, Meiou-Sensei…So you know about his situation…No fights today is what Ranma told me…He didn't mention the sparring match…You'd like to speak to the two of us?…Of course, I'll bring Ranma over.  See you in a little while."  Nodoka looked at her son.  "You didn't mention you had a sparring match with your gym teacher."

Ranma looked at his mother.  "I didn't mention it because it was a simple sparring match in gym class.  Sparring doesn't count as fighting.  Doesn't it?"

Nodoka sighed.  "Of course not.  As long as it was a friendly sparring match.  I do recall, however, some of the fights you got into, and you'd just call them sparring."  Ranma grinned sheepishly.  "Anyway, my son, your guidance counselor would like an informal chat with the two of us.  Maybe I'll get to meet this girl that has so captured your heart."  
  
-----  
Meiou Residence  
30 minutes later

Ranma stood on the stoop he had chatted with Setsuna a few days ago, his mother standing just behind him, carrying her ever-present katana in its silk wrappings.  "God, doesn't she go anywhere without that damn sword?"

He didn't realize he'd vocalized his thoughts until his mother answered.  "I only carry it when there is the possibility of reminding someone about their obligations."  He looked sheepishly at his mother.

He was saved by the door opening.  An aqua-haired woman answered the door.  "May I help you?"

"Y-yes.  I'm here to see Setsuna.  I'm Ranma Saotome."

"Oh, Ranma.  I didn't recognize you.  I'm Michiru Kaiou.  I'm in your class.  Please come in."  Michiru could swear she was looking at a raven-haired Haruka—just a bit more muscular, though.

"I thought you looked familiar.  Mom, Michiru.  Michiru, my mom."  Nodoka and the Senshi of Neptune bowed to each other.  "Is Setsuna around?"

"Yes, I'll go get her."  Michiru headed towards Setsuna's office in the back of the house.

Two of the other residents walked out of the kitchen—Hotaru and Haruka.  Nodoka had settled down on one of the chairs, with her back to the kitchen; Ranma was pacing, even though he'd never admit that he was nervous.  "Hi Ranma," Haruka said.  "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hi Haruka.  Just waiting for Setsuna.  Michiru went to go get her."

Hotaru looked up at her father figure.  "Haruka-papa, who's that?"  She asked, referring to Ranma.

Haruka looked at her daughter.  "Only the best martial artist in Japan; Ranma Saotome."

"Cool."  Hotaru smiled at the slightly nervous martial artist.

"Um, Haruka, you never told me you had a daughter."

"It's a long story, Ranma."  When Nodoka turned her head was when Haruka noticed her.  "Oh, hi Auntie Saotome."

Nodoka stood, walked over to her daughter and knelt.  Ranma looked confused, wondering what was going to happen.  "Haruka, I'm afraid I've been living a lie for these past eighteen years, and it has been a stain on my soul and my honor for allowing what happened to happen.

"Haruka," Nodoka unwrapped the Saotome family katana, and laid it before her.  "Would you forgive a foolish woman with an even bigger fool for a husband?"

Haruka narrowed her eyes.  Setsuna and Michiru, coming down the stairs, both gasped.  Hotaru had a concerned look in her eyes, as did Ranma.  "Forgive you for what?"

"For giving into my husband and putting you up for adoption.  Haruka, I am you mother."

"I don't believe you, Auntie.  My parents would have told me that you were my mother."

"Except that the Ten'ou clan has always been aligned to the Saotomes, and my father had asked your grandfather to keep your true family from you.  He didn't want my foolish husband from taking you from your parents and on to a training trip in case anything happened to Ranma."

Even though Setsuna had told Uranus everything prior to the Saotomes arrival, Haruka still didn't believe what she was hearing.  Nodoka looked at Haruka.  "Search your feelings, Haruka, you know this to be true."  To add further proof to this story, Nodoka grabbed the honor blade, and knocked the glass of water out of Hotaru's hands.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion.  The glass flew out of Hotaru's hands, and lazily spun in an arc towards the only Jusenkyo-cursed individual in the room.  Amazingly enough, not a drop of water was spilled during its flight.  Ranma's eyes flew wide open, as the glass tumbled in his direction.  As it closed within a meter of the aquatransexual, the glass finally disgorged its contents, and soaked the pig-tailed martial artist.  With his curse activated, Ranma-otoko became Ranma-onna.  All eyes were on Ranma, as he became a redheaded version of his sister, albeit a tad…healthier in the bosom.  "Aw geez.  I would have liked to have stayed dry at least until I had gotten to know my sister better," Ranma muttered, her voice a firm mezzo-soprano.  Michiru tried not to lick her lips…too much.  Setsuna was a little more discrete, while Hotaru was standing there, her eyes like saucers.

"Ra…Ranma?"  Haruka asked.  Her brother turned sister nodded, and in a scene that was identical to his first meeting with the Tendos, Haruka reached over and grabbed one of her breasts.  "These feel real."

"Could you please stop that, Haruka."  Onna-Ranma looked at her sister.  "They are real."  Haruka removed her hand, but Michiru still had a lecherous look on her face.  

Setsuna noted this.  "Michiru," she whispered, "Ranma is mine."

Michiru looked at her fellow Outer.  "I can still wish, Setsuna.  I can still wish."

Setsuna frowned for a moment, the realized that she had her ever-present cup of tea in her hand.  Walking over, she upended it on her soulmate, reversing the curse.  Buxom girl turned back into beefcake material, before giving him a gentle, almost friendly hug.  "Hello Ranma.  Nice to see you again."

Ranma, going into sensory overload by Setsuna's hug, merely replied "Hi 'Suna-chan.  Nice to see you again, what the second time today?"  Setsuna chuckled, but blushed at what he called her.

There was a clearing of a throat.  Everyone looked at Nodoka, then at Haruka.  Nodoka was still expecting an answer to her question.  "Auntie Nodoka…no, that's not right," the blonde tomboy said.  Haruka looked at Nodoka.  "I would like you to understand one thing.  I'm not going to change who I am, understood?"  Nodoka nodded.  Haruka smiled at her mother.  "I've missed you, Mom.  Even when you were 'Auntie Nodoka.'"

Nodoka stood and swept her daughter up into a bear hug.  "Oh happy day!  I have my daughter back."  Haruka returned her hug just as fiercely.  Nodoka let her daughter down.  "Now what did you mean by you are not changing who you are?"

Haruka blushed, and looked at Michiru.  Michiru nodded, walked over and put her hand in her lover's.  "Mom, I'd like you to meet my lover, Michiru Kaiou."

"I…see."  Nodoka's disappointment was subtle, but obvious.  _No grandchildren to spoil from this relationship, unless they adopt._

Hotaru joined her guardians.  "Mom," Haruka said, "I'd also like you to meet our daughter, Hotaru Tomoe."

Nodoka brightened immediately.  "Michiru-chan, Hotaru-chan, welcome to the family."  She hugged all three girls.  "Haruka, I take it you and Michiru adopted Hotaru?"

"It's a long story, Mom.  Maybe someday I'll tell it to you."

"Wow," Ranma said, "I'm an uncle.  Cool."  The pig-tailed martial artist looked at his niece. "Hey Hotaru, would you like to learn martial arts?"

Hotaru looked at her parent-figures.  "Can I, Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama?"

The two Outers looked at each other, then at Ranma, blanching at the way Setsuna was snuggled against him.  Haruka spoke up, asking the silent question between the two lovers.  "You're not going to do anything like our father the panda, right?"

"Nah.  Pop's training was cruel and unusual, but I'm not going to do anything like that.  I figure I'd start her off with some flexibility and light endurance, like Tai Chi. Then once I know what her threshold is, we'll start with the more advanced stuff.

"By the way, you want to learn the family style, Haruka?"

"I'm a Saotome, right?"  Both Ranma and their mother nodded.  "Makes sense that I learn the family school."

"We'll start with your first lesson tomorrow morning," Ranma said.  Haruka groaned, as Setsuna and Ranma both chuckled.  "Same with you, Hotaru."

Setsuna looked at the man in her arms.  "Ranma," she purred, "why don't we go out and let your mother and sister get to know each other better.  They have some time to make up."

The hesitancy that was present in Nerima with the Fiancée Brigade wasn't there with Ranma's answer.  "Sure, why not.  Mom, Setsuna and I are going out.  I'll be home later."

Nodoka smiled at her son.  "You two enjoy yourselves.  Haruka and I do need the time to get to know each other again."  _My son is **so** manly.  He's finally gotten over that hesitancy that he had in Nerima.  And I think Setsuna is going to be a good influence on him._  
  



	3. Chaptre the 3rd

AN: I really hadn't thought about continuing with this but with all the positive feedback, I feel compelled to continue. Sanjiyan: The plot was rolled up with Targhan's Ranma/Sailor Moon Crossover Creator, and the rest wrote itself. So if it looks familiar, then there's similarity in everything.

-------

Ranma sat across from his date. Even though he tried to present a calm front to his date, he was failing horribly, fidgeting nervously in his chair. Although he had no reason to. The restaurant they were at was nowhere near Nerima; none of his fiancées had shown up; and his rivals were noticeably absent. There was something in his mind that equated calm with disaster. But there was also another thing weighing heavily on his mind—the suggestions his mother made to solve his whole problem.

Setsuna saw the unease that her date was giving off, and chose to do something about it. "Ranma, what's wrong?"

"It's…ah, it's nothing to concern yourself with," he replied.

"Bull, Ranma. You've were honest with me last week, you were honest with me today. So what's wrong?"

The pigtailed Saotome looked into his date's crimson eyes. "My life hasn't exactly been my own apparently since before I was born. From the time I could walk, and began training, Pop was always telling me how to act, what to learn, what to be, who I'd marry. It's been so long, that I've almost forgotten how to think for myself.

"And now Mom tells me that I'm a free man, free to date with whomever I choose. But there's also the honor of my Clan at stake. That's mainly because of Pop dragging the family name through the mud."

The Keeper of the Gates of Time looked at him. She hadn't foreseen this problem as a potential problem, but the Gates were a little…fickle when it came to trying to this particular butterfly's immediate future. "How so?"

"If I don't marry Akane, the family looses face, because Oyaji arranged for the two schools to unite with her father. If I don't marry Ukyo, her honor will be destroyed, because of Pops. And if I don't marry Shampoo, her honor will also be ruined. All caused by Pop's fat stomach.

"And there's something else. Ever since last Saturday, I can't stop thinking about you."

Setsuna took his hand in hers. "Ranma," she said, as she ran a green lacquered fingernail along his hand, "I've been alone for so long, that I've almost forgotten to be in love." There was the ghost of a smile on her face as she continued. "I've been thinking about you as well."

Meiou Residence

1:40am Wednesday Morning

Twin pools of radiance lit the front stoop of Setsuna's home, illuminating two figures. Haruka was busy peeking out the living room window at her brother and the eldest Senshi. "Haruka, leave them alone," Michiru said, sipping a cup of Setsuna's tea.

The butch Sailor Suited Warrior of Love and Justice looked back at her lover. "I want to see if Ranma and Setsuna will kiss on the first date."

"I doubt it, love. Your brother doesn't seem like that kind of young man."

Outside, Ranma gave the only contender for his heart a grin. "There are two still awake inside, Setsuna. I'll bet it's my sister and Michiru."

The green haired Senshi smiled back at him. "I'm sure it is. They've never seen me out on a date before, so they're acting like my parents." Giving in to impulse, Setsuna swept the pigtailed martial artist into a passionate kiss. Ranma fought against it for a few moments, just long enough for his brain to get comfortable with the fact that this girl—no, woman—just wanted to enter a relationship through normal means.

"That…that…that pervert!" Haruka exclaimed, not noticing that it was Setsuna who initiated the kiss. Uranus turned and stormed for the door.

Michiru grabbed her lover by the arm. "Haruka, relax. Setsuna's a big girl. All your brother is doing right now is just kissing her. After all, she started it."

Haruka hrumphed. "That still doesn't mean I'm not going to thrash him tomorrow."

Michiru smiled at the blonde butch. "You saw what he did to Lei-sensei. I hate to be honest, but you wouldn't stand a chance against him."

"Maybe untransformed, but…"

The aqua-haired violinist interrupted her, before she could get on a tirade. "You yourself told Setsuna that your brother took down a god. And you've been training with him. Even transformed, you'd probably still lose. Although I don't know why you read that tabloid."

"Hey, _Weird Tokyo_ keeps me informed about all of the weirdness going on in the city. Besides, I think I can still take him."

Michiru rolled her eyes. ""Come on, lover. Let's go to bed and leave them alone." Haruka was about to growl when Michiru whispered in her ear. The butch Senshi grew a lecherous grin and let her lover lead her off to bed.

----- 

Ranma slipped into his mother's house through his bedroom window. He hadn't brought up his options to Setsuna, although he had wanted her council, it was ultimately his choice in the matter. The two things that were a relief to him were that his mother no longer held the seppuku contract over his head—unlike his fat, lazy panda of a father—and she'd given her blessing to court Setsuna. That, in itself, surprised the pigtailed martial artist.

Setsuna was an older woman—little did Ranma know just how old—whose biological clock was ticking. And yet Nodoka "I hope for lots of grandchildren to spoil" Saotome had given her blessing.

As he stealthily slipped through his childhood home, Ranma pondered his options. His mother could name him head of the Clan; he was legally an adult. That would give him authority to honor or dissolve any and all engagements Genma made in his name. It would also allow him to legally kick the pandaman out of the Clan. It was a very potent option, one that reminded the pigtailed boy of what one of his sensei's had told him. "With great power comes great responsibility." It was also one that Genma would fight tooth and nail over.

His second option would be to have his mother kick him out of the Clan, declaring him honorless. Being ronin would be painful for the boy in two ways. The first is because he tried to live his life to a personal code of honor, one that ignored his father's two-faced treatment of the subject. The second is because everything in the country depends on family name. No name: no post-secondary schools, no license to instruct martial arts, no jobs. The way around that would be to marry Setsuna, and take her family name. Ranma discarded it as an option of last resort.

His final option was to be adopted out of the Clan. That would solve a number of his problems. On the plus side, he already knew of someone who was familiar with his situation, had no allegiance to either the Tendo or Saotome clans, and wasn't bound by traditional Japanese honor. On the negative side, he would be leaving his family and what friendships he'd begun establishing with his sister's friends when Dai Ryuujin no Nishi rotated out of the country.

But as Ranma changed into his pajamas and slipped under the covers of his bed, he realized just how quickly events were slipping out of his grasp.

----- 

Setsuna was just walking into Juban High early, as was her want, when the Superintendent intercepted her. "Ms. Meiou."

"Kuno-sempai," she replied coolly to the sane member of the Kuno clan.

"Meiou-san, you were seen last night with the transfer student from Furinken. Would you care to explain yourself?"

"Kuno-sempai, Saotome-san and I were discussing his goals as a student of Juban High. There was nothing improper going on at our dinner meeting; so there is nothing that should violate student/faculty policies."

Kuno Toskino was known amongst the educators of the Tokyo school system to be a hard ass, just to counter his brother's actions at Furinken High. So his answer was appropriate for him. "Be that as it may, Meiou-san, if anything improper does occur, they would result in immediate and swift repercussions against you. I would strongly recommend that you review the teacher's regulations covering student/faculty relationships, and understand that violation of those would result in immediate revocation of tenure and termination.

"Good day, Meiou-san." Without allowing the guidance counselor to reply, the Superintendent left her office and headed towards his chambers.

"Repercussions my Aunt Matilda's fanny," she swore. While waiting for the Senshi to awake, Setsuna had spent the long years after the destruction of the Imperium educating herself. Although she only displayed the doctorate in clinical social work from Tokyo University, along with her Masters and Bachelors from Columbia University in History, she had degrees from several institutions throughout history, along with letters and correspondence from the greatest intellectuals of history, in her apartments on Pluto. Her reasoning was that she had to do something with her time. She opened the door to her office in time to see the Guidance Department secretary walk in. "Ms. Takashi, as soon as Ranma Saotome is here, have him sent to my office."

"Hai, Meiou-san." Setsuna closed the door and waited.

She didn't have to wait long. The door to her office opened and her pigtailed love interest entered. "You wanted to see me, Setsuna," he asked, with the door securely closed behind him.

"I did. Superintendent Kuno heard about our date last night. And before you start out about it being the one from your old school, it was his brother.

"He decided to 'advise' me about potential sanctions against me if we are found to be doing anything inappropriate."

With an incensed look on his face, Ranma said "I won't let anyone get away with that." Before he could catch himself, Ranma found himself adding "They can't do anything about it if we're married."

The look on Setsuna's face was priceless, as a combination of shock, surprise, and horror. "Um," the pigtailed martial artist said, "that is if you want to marry me."

Setsuna smiled at the boy who, in such a short time, filled in her heart a blanked out area. Of course, she hadn't seen this coming, but with the exception of the recent past and distant future, anything dealing with Ranma was fuzzy, and tended to make the donut-shaped, semi-sentient Gates of Time unstable. "Ranma," she asked, "you aren't troubled by what your father's done to you, are you?"

Ranma sighed. "I am. I've got four fiancées that I know about, all who will be dishonored if I don't marry them. What makes it worse is that they all think they love me, but I don't love them in the way they think I do. For me, there's only one person who I'd like to share my crazy life with.

"I swear, Suna-chan, if I didn't get out of the Tendos, I'd have lost my cool, and done something horrible…" The late bell chimed, interrupting the pigtailed warrior's diatribe.

"We'll discuss this at my house later, Ranma-kun," Setsuna said as she wrote him out a late pass. "Here, this will keep you out of trouble with your first period teacher." Setsuna surprised even herself when she kissed the pigtailed teen on the cheek.

----- 

Over in Nerima, one of Ranma's formally recognized fiancées was being removed from consideration. Shampoo should have realized something when she walked down the stairs from the apartments above the dining room in the Nekohanten. The lights were off, as candles threw guttering pools of light, reminding the Amazon of her village. But what really should have tipped her off was that Cologne wasn't perched on her staff. Add the fact that she, along with Mousse and Tigar, were in formal robes, and not their usual clothes.

"Xian Pu," Cologne intoned formally, "have you found any trace of Son-in-Law?"

"No, Great-Grandmother." Shampoo replied tensely, although she had schooled her features. She'd failed time after time to capture the aquatransexual who defeated her on a regular basis. And she knew the penalty for failure.

As much as she enjoyed her semiretirement in Nerima, far away from Council politics, with it's never ending martial arts floorshow, and the continual training Ranma before he left—it was a pleasure for the elder to teach someone who lived, breathed and slept the Art—but Cologne would much rather have the boy in the tribe, even despite the fact he was trained in that despicable pervert's art. And Shampoo's bungled attempts to woo the boy by magic didn't help.

Plus, when the fact that Shampoo spent most of the past week at the Tendos watching over both the family and Dai Ryuujin no Nishi without successfully locating the golden key that, by right of conquest, was an Amazon possession.

There was an additional factor that added in to Cologne's decision to cut the Amazons losses in Nerima and run—internal tribal politics. The matriarch's eyes and ears within the village were sending her reports that rival elders were planning something against her for her failure to bring the Saotime boy into the tribe as well as her failure to deal with the silver dragon.

"Xian Pu," Cologne said, "you have failed in capturing the heart of the warrior Ranma Saotome, and bring him into the tribe.

"You have failed to retrieve a rare Amazon treasure held in the clutches of the vile Dai Ryuujin no Nishi.

"While in the lair of the wily beast, you failed to eliminate an enemy of the tribe. Dai Ryuujin no Nishi yet breathes, and you did nothing about him.

"You have been found wanting as an Amazon, Xian Pu; a failure to your family, your clan, your tribe, and your ancestors.

"Before sentence is passed, do you have anything to say in your defense?"

With fire in her eyes, Shampoo held her tongue. Even though she wanted to blame her great-grandmother as the cause of her failures—for not training her in the more advanced techniques, and for not teaching her the necessary magic—the lavender-haired warrior knew when to fight and when to admit she lost. This was one battle that she lost. "No, Elder," she replied, neutrally. "I do not. My failure is my own. My dishonor is my own."

"Know then this- Xian Pu, you are no longer an Amazon warrior." At a subtle signal from Cologne, Tigar took a pair of barber shears and cut short Shampoo's long hair. Cologne continued. "You are cast out of the Clan, the Tribe, and your family. Seek not aid or comfort in Amazon territory.

"Be gone, Lost One." As Shampoo fled the restaurant that had been her home for the past two years, Cologne turned to the other Amazons. "Find me Saotome. Tell him that the Kiss of Marriage and Kiss of Death have been annulled, and that the Amazons wish to discuss reconciliation and the possibilities of an alliance." Tigar and Mousse bowed and left the restaurant.


	4. Chaptre the 4th

**Meiou Residence**

6 pm

Ranma stood in front of Setsuna's house. He was nervous from what he'd said in the morning to keep the woman he loved working at Juuban High School. His lack of thinking before speaking had caused him untold problems in Nerima, but not on this scale. He had actually offered to marry Setsuna of his own free will. There was no family agreement, or Amazon Kiss of Marriage hanging over him, it was his own damn fault. When he told his mother about it after school, she was ecstatic, and had to tell Kasumi all about it. Ranma just hung his head, and took his licks like an adult. With a sigh, he rang the doorbell. At least he had the right thing for it.

"Hey bro," his sister said, answering the door.

"Hi Haruka; is Setsuna in?"

"I think she's up in her room. Come on in, I'll get her. Make yourself at home—but don't raid the fridge."

"Thanks, sis." Ranma vaulted on to the couch, and assumed his favorite meditative stance: eyes closed, and asleep. Hotaru walked by and chuckled at the sight of her uncle asleep.

The senshi in question was in her room, pondering her own spin on the day's events. She clearly hadn't seen this coming, but it would have happened sooner or later. The vision of the future with Ranma in it was still as steady as it was last week. To the Senshi of Time, that meant something. What it meant right now for Crystal Tokyo, the eldest Senshi was uncertain, but it told her that her millennia of being alone were over. Haruka knocked and told her roommate that her boy toy was here for their date. "What am I ever going to do with you," Setsuna purred in her boyfriend's ear, as she settled into his lap. The rational portion of her mind, though, was screaming out that this wasn't normal for her. The romantic side and her libido teamed up and told the rational side to shut up and let it ride.

"I don't know, Suna-chan," he replied. "Maybe go out to dinner with me?" Setsuna gave the pigtailed fighter a reproachful look. "Aw, come on. I even got us reservations in Harumi."

"Very well, Ranma," Setsuna said coolly, although with a smile on her face. "I assume it's your treat?" He shuddered when she said that, reminding him so much of Nabiki, but he nodded shakily. Ranma'd have to work off what he'd borrowed from his mother, but come hell or high water, he'd do it. Setsuna was having the time of her life, though. She'd seen what her inadvertent fiancé had been through for most of his life, and was also forcing him to grow up, but she also wasn't going to let Ranma pay for dinner despite asking if it was his treat. "Then shall we leave for the restaurant?"

Ranma stood as his inadvertent fiancée looped her arms around his neck. "Might as well. It's going to take awhile to roof hop to the restaurant."

In a castle dating back to the Shogunate outside of Tokyo-to, two ancient individuals were meeting in the decaying throne room. One of the individuals, sitting on the decayed throne, was wearing robes that a Roman senator would find familiar. The other, was wearing laminate armor more familiar to the region. If Rei were anywhere near the castle, she would have passed out from the amount of evil emanating from the castle. Either that or because of the skeletons walking the parapets in decayed armor and clothes in a mockery of guard duty. "Why is it that you brought me here, Lividicus-san?"

"Tskumoto-san," the one in robes rasped, "be at ease. You are here merely to listen to a proposal of mine. There are certain magical items I've decided that I'd like to acquire in Tokyo."

"And what would these items be, mage?"

"Merely a crystal and a key-shaped staff."

"Why? Because these baubles intrigue you, Lividicus-san?"

"Exactly, my dear Tskumoto-san," the lich replied, the rictus of a grin on his undead face. "And I need your help."

The death knight looked at the mage in front of him, and laughed. It was more of the hearty laugh than an evil cackle. "That's the funniest thing I've heard of in a thousand years." The look the lich gave the former samurai would have frozen the stoutest warrior. "You don't seem to realize Lividicus-san, that there are dragons in Tokyo now. As well as magical girls called the 'Sailor Senshi'." The death knight reached into his armor and retrieved the _Tokyo Times_, _Asahi Shimbun_, and _Weird Tokyo_. On the front page of the first two papers were fuzzy images of two dragons flying between the Sony and JVC buildings. The cover of _Weird Tokyo_ had a rather bad photo of the Senshi in one of their "dramatic" poses, although you couldn't identify who exactly they were.

"This could pose a problem," replied the lich, "however, that is why you have your army of undead, Tskumoto-san."

The death knight shook his head. He had been a military strategist over a thousand years ago, and, even though cursed with undeath and immortality, kept current on the military strategy and tactics of Japan. "You seem to have this lack of understanding, Lividicus-san that this will be a walk in the park. Even if the dragons and the Senshi do not get involved, Japan has an effective police and military. Two thousand years ago, even two hundred years ago, this would have been no problem; just frighten the local populace with a few skeletons, head into town and acquire what you are looking for.

"But now there is an efficient military, armed with the latest in modern weapons and well versed in tactics."

A ball of glowing magic appeared in the lich's hand. "You will do as I bid, Samurai. Your code of honor demands it, or I will destroy you!"

Tskumoto glared at the lich. "I will do it, if only to prove it will be folly." With barely a nod of his head, the death knight, spun on his heel and walked out of throne room, leaving the lich to stew in his fury.

------

Seated at one of the better establishments in Tokyo, with a view of the Imperial Palace, Ranma was fidgeting nervously. His date for the evening had gone to the ladies' room, leaving him there to contemplate how he was going to do this. Unfortunately for the pigtailed martial artist, she returned before he had a fully formulated plan. Setsuna smiled at him. "Ranma, what's wrong?"

He smiled back at her, nervously. "Suna-chan, I didn't have a plan for this but," Ranma reached into his pocket and pulled out a black velvet covered box. "I know I opened my big mouth this morning by saying the school board couldn't do anything if we were married. I…" he paused to lick his lips and place the box on the table. "I would be honored if you would be my wife."

Setsuna was shocked. It was the second time in less than twenty-four hours that the Senshi of Time was surprised. "Ranma, I don't know what to say…Of course, I'll be your wife." She leaned over the table and kissed him, spilling his glass of water over him. Setsuna felt the change on her fiancé, but didn't care.

Ranma broke the kiss and sat back down in her chair. "Aw man. I didn't want this to happen. I've been having such luck at not being a water magnet; I just didn't want you to see this."

"Ranma," she said, as she handed her fiancée her cup of tea, "I don't care what sex you currently are. I…I've been alone for so long that you've opened a whole new perspective for me on life. And when I told you that I was thinking about you, I truly have been. And I love you."

"But what about my other fiancées? If I marry you, their honor will be destroyed because I'm supposed to marry them."

"Ranma, forget about your other fiancées. They're the result of that lazy panda you call a father and his gluttony and lack of honor. Would you like a solution to your problem?" Ranma nodded. "When we get married, take my family name. The Meiou clan has been around since before the Fujiwara. Your mother won't have a problem with that, I'm sure."

"She won't. In fact, she had suggested something along those lines, although they were getting adopted out of the Saotome clan, since my worthless father has dragged their good name through the mud." Ranma handed the cup of tea back to Setsuna, without changing back. "Your acceptance of my condition has been the best thing that happened to me. Well, that and my mother accepting that I'll be like this for the rest of my life."

"I'm glad to hear that Ranma," Setsuna said as she scooted her chair next the redhead. "You realize that if the Superintendent finds out, he'll want us married by the end of the week."

"Wouldn't be the first time I heard that threat," the redhead muttered. She looked at the older woman. "I'll have to make a couple of phone calls. Jeez, mom'll be thrilled."

"Your mother is a woman of great honor. She'll see it as a means to saving your personal honor, without dishonoring your other fiancées or yourself."

Ranma smiled at the Senshi of Time. "Good. That's one headache, or rather four headaches, off my back. But I gotta worn you, once they find out, we're gonna have a heck of a time keeping you safe."

Setsuna gave her fiancé a secretive smile. "Don't worry about me Ranma. I have ways of protecting myself." Ranma nodded, he'd noted her fearlessness when he rescued her from the tractor. Dinner arrived, and with a display of extremely improved table manners on the part of one of the diners, was enjoyed in companionable silence.

------

Close to the restaurant, there was a familiar face wandering by, lost as usual. "Curse you, Ranma Saotome! You've ruined my life. And when I find you, I'm going to ruin your happiness."

Over dessert, Ranma shuddered; which wasn't lost on his date. "Is something wrong, Ranma?"

"It just felt as though someone was walking over my grave. Feh, it was probably Ryouga blaming me for his faults. Wouldn't be the first time, and it probably won't be the last.

"You want to get out of here?" Setsuna nodded, and Ranma signaled for the check.

When it came and Ranma reached for the debit card his mother had given him, Setsuna put her hand on his. "Consider this my treat, Ranma."

He shrugged. "Ok. If you insist."

As they left the restaurant and walked towards the Imperial palace, Setsuna's hand slipped into Ranma's. The pigtailed martial artist felt slightly uncomfortable at first, even though he didn't show any discomfort when she kissed him at the table. The couple talked quietly about the problems Ranma might encounter at Juuban High, the looks Setsuna will probably get from the faculty of the school, and where they were going to live. "You realize Mom'll probably want lots of grandchildren to spoil," he said quietly.

"I do. I hope your mother understands that I want to wait until you are at least out of high school and hopefully almost finished with college before we start having kids." _I've waited millennia for someone like Ranma. I think I can wait a few more years. Besides, it's not like I have a biological clock that's going to turn me into a pumpkin at __midnight__, even if it is ticking. But, I think I should tell him about my night job. He has been totally honest to me. I need to be honest to him as well, otherwise it would make me seem like the other girls in his life._ "Ranma," she said quietly, "there is something that I need to tell you before we get married."

"What is it?"

Setsuna led him to a secluded park. "I think it would be better here."

As Ranma sat on the bench, a string of thoughts went through his mind. _She's got something to tell me. I'll bet she's been to Jusenkyo, is cursed to turn into a tentacle monster, with an Amazon wife._

"Ranma, how familiar are you with the Sailor Senshi?"

"Not very. You know what my life was like in Nerima."

"True, from what you told me, you never had a chance to just relax." Never in her long life, had Setsuna been this nervous before. She would take lovers and, with the aid of a minor glamour, age with them and her children. But after watching Ranma's fight with Saffron, she realized that her fiancé had absorbed some of the godling's powers, including his immortality, even if he didn't know it yet.

She sat quietly next to her fiancé composing herself for a few moments. "Ranma, there are nine Sailor Senshi—one for each planet except Earth—and a Prince of Earth. Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars and Jupiter are considered the Inner Senshi. There are also four Outer Senshi: Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Each of the planets and their Senshi have a unique power."

She looked extremely nervous, which threw the pigtailed martial artist for a loop. Setsuna was a pillar of strength, in the short time that Ranma had known her and fallen in love with her. He placed his arm across her shoulders. "'Suna-chan, it seems you know a lot about the Senshi." She nodded. "And I'm sure, like those American superhero comics, they have secret identities too." She nodded again. What she was about to do felt like seeing that tractor-trailer barreling down on her again. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, Ranma. I have to tell you. I don't want you worrying about me."

"I'll worry about you no matter what," Ranma said. "Look, it's been a long day for the both of us. Tell me after school tomorrow." Setsuna nodded, as Ranma hugged her.

As they left the park, Ranma felt chill run down his back. He had just enough time to push Setsuna out of the way as a ball of depressed ki came flying at them, without the usual preceding battle cry. "You two timing bastard! I'm going to kill you!" With that, Ryouga charged his pigtailed nemesis.

"What the hell did I do this time," Ranma countered, backpedaling the Lost Boy's wild swings with that depleted uranium umbrella of his.

"Do I need to recount everything, bastard?" Ryouga's attack nearly connected with his opponent.

"Oh Ranma," Setsuna said from the sidelines. "Be careful."

"Is it because I left Akane?" His only reply was a snarl from his opponent. "Maybe it's because Doc Tofuu's kettle of hot water splashed you instead of me?" ((AN: see An American Dragon in Nerima, Chapter 9 for reference)) That intensified Ryouga's attacks.

"You could have tried to stop it, Ranma," the Lost Boy countered.

"But who pretended to be Akane's pet pig, eh? Who should have told her that they were cursed at Jusenkyo? Who had a tattoo on their stomach that Akane noticed it was the same on P-Chan?" Ranma continued his backpedaling, leading the fanged boy into a spiral.

"My curse had nothing to do with it. Besides it's all your fault I got that curse in the first place."

"I told you to tell Akane when you had the chance about your curse, but you never did. Hell, you could never tell her about how you really felt about her. Talk about pathetic. If you want her, you can have the psychotic spoiled bitch. I want nothing to do with her."

Ryouga sneered. "And now you have another in your harem. Are you going to string her along like all the others? Or are you sleeping with her, and going to leave her when she no longer suits your needs."

That did it; the kid gloves were off. Ranma was willing to forgive his rival/some time friend for the Shi Shi Hokodan, but Ryouga was attacking his fiancée's honor, as well as his. And that was something that Ranma cherished above all else.

From the sidelines, Setsuna cringed as the beating that her fiancé was giving his rival. It was fiercer than anything Uranus or Jupiter dished out, and they were the best martial artists she knew. The only other time she'd seen Ranma go all out was in the Time Gates with Saffron. She could hear bones breaking, as Ranma let Ryouga have it.

For the fanged Lost Boy, this was the worst pounding he'd ever received; even worse than when the Old Ghoul taught him the Bakusai Tenketsu. He gratefully passed out from the pain and collapsed to the ground.

Ranma ran over to his fiancée. "Are you alright," he asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Yes, I am," she replied. "That was close." She looked at the young man passed out on the sidewalk. "I assume that was Ryouga?"

"Yeah. I think he's now blaming me for an incident that happened at the Tendos." Ranma smiled as he remembered the look on both Ryouga's and Akane's faces. "He was in being held by Akane, as P-Chan, when he got hit by a kettle of hot water. He changed right in front of her, hell right in her arms. Suffice to say, Akane was not pleased. In fact, she was downright pissed about it."

Setsuna looked at him. "So does he have a legitimate gripe against you?"

"Yes and no. In a roundabout way, I caused him to be cursed. But he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. For once, Murphy's Law worked for me."

Setsuna nodded. She had figured as much. "Ranma, I'd like to go home now."

"Sure, Suna-chan," Ranma replied. Picking his fiancée up in his arms, the pigtailed martial artist leapt into the air.


	5. Chaptre the 5th

Ranma sat on the roof of his home, reflecting the changes just a few weeks in a "normal" household. His social development was increasing, since he didn't have his father hindering him; his grades were improving, as he applied his incredible ability to learn to his schooling. Since his move back into his home, Ranma had only one rival to deal with, and that was Ryouga tonight. He got engaged with his own free will, the Saotome-Tendo agreement could burn for all the pigtailed martial artist cared for it. His fiancée had a secret, but hell, most of the people he knew had some sort of secret that they didn't want revealed.

He heard a ladder thump up against the roof, but didn't think anything of it. Most of his rivals would have jumped up to attack. "Ranma," he heard his mother call.

"Yeah Mom?"

"What are you doing up here?" Nodoka carefully made her way over to her only son/daughter.

"I just needed some time to think, that's all. The roof was the one place I could get away from the insanity of my life in Nerima." He looked over at her, and was kind of shocked to see her in jeans and a sweatshirt. Usually she was in her traditional kimono, with the family katana on her back.

"I see. Speaking of Nerima, I spoke to Kasumi today."

"Oh?"

"Yes. It seems there were some interesting revelations in the past two days." She sat down next to him. "You no longer have an Amazon 'wife'." The face fault that Ranma did would have been relatively mundane, had they been at, say the dining room table. From the roof of the house, however, it was quite spectacular. "Ranma, are you alright?"

"Yeah Mom, I'm fine," the pigtailed martial artist said as he dusted himself off. "What was that about Shampoo?"

"Shampoo apparently disgraced herself in her pursuit of you, and someone known as 'Dai Ryuujin no Nishi'. Her great grandmother didn't like the dishonor that it brought to her tribe."

Ranma leapt back up to the roof. "Wow. That's such a relief. Now I don't have to worry about Shampoo come charging Setsuna shouting 'You obstacle. Obstacles are for killing!'."

"Well, there is a twist, my son. If you were to marry a Tendo, she'd be your niece. Kasumi and her fiancé are adopting her."

"Oy," he muttered. "I'm sure Akane isn't taking this lightly."

"No, she's not. In fact your former fiancée had a conniption when she found out that Kasumi was letting her stay at the Dojo. Kasumi and Lt. Marx took care of it."

Ranma shuddered. You didn't want to piss off any dragon, even a young silver like Lt. Marx. At least his mother didn't know that Marx was Dai Ryuujin no Nishi; that was one secret he wasn't going to let slip or even hint at. "Did she say she still had a little sister?"

"I don't know. She didn't say either way. Why?" Her shuddered again, but for a different reason, before he could answer. "Ranma," his mother asked, concern in her voice, "are you alright?"

"There's a fight brewing," he said, as he looked towards the fight.

As he stood, his mother nodded her assent, and kissed him. "Be careful, Ranma. I lost you for twelve long years. I don't want to lose you again."

"I will mom." With that, he began roof hopping towards the fight, the call of battle singing to his blood.

------

In another part of Juuban, the Sailor Senshi were hard pressed fighting against this newest foe. They were used to fighting droids, youma, what have you, that weren't the brightest creatures, led by overlords who were more interested in capturing life energy than defeating the Senshi; despite their mandate to destroy the Senshi they themselves wound up losing.

Forming a loose defensive perimeter, at least behind Saturn's Silence Wall, the Senshi were taking a breather, in the form of forming a plan. "What are these things?" Moon asked.

"Undead," Mercury replied, looking up from her computer.

"Like in that movie 'Day of the Dead', right?" Makoto asked.

"Something like that," Ami replied, as the undead scraped and scratched at the invisible barrier separating them from their prize.

"Then we should have no problem with our normal attacks," Jupiter said.

"Except that the numbers of undead make such attacks difficult," Pluto said, as she appeared out of the shadows.

"Where have you been?" Usagi asked.

"Dealing with a…personal issue, Princess," Setsuna replied cryptically. Uranus couldn't help but to smirk, in an "I know something you don't know" manner. The Senshi of Time looked at her housemate, and soon to be sister-in-law, with such a glare that Haruka kept her mouth shut.

"So how do we deal with this new threat?" Ami asked.

"With weapons. Skeletons don't tend to react well to swords; they'll suffer more damage from blunt weapons…"

"MOKO TAKABISHA!"

Further discussion was interrupted when a ball of blue ki blew the skeletons around Saturn's barrier to bits. "Holy…" began the response by Minako.

Makoto finished it, particularly when a black-clad individual followed the ball. "…shit!" She said, quite succinctly.

The Senshi stood there, as if rooted, as they watched this pigtailed ball of fury tearing into the undead surrounding them. Setsuna recovered first. "Saturn, I want you to hit them with a Silence Glaive Surprise when I tell you to drop the wall. Remember, physical attacks will work best, but if you can hit them with magic quickly enough, do it." Counting to herself, Pluto hit four, and shouted: "Now!"

Hotaru dropped the wall, and fired off a Surprise. Several skeletons were suddenly not there. The Senshi charged their enemy, and began engaging them with fists and feet, and weapons.

Ranma, not aware that the cavalry had arrived to save the cavalry, was having the time of his life. Noting that most of the targets were skeletons, he unleashed the forbidden arts of Musabetsu Kakutou Saotome-ryu. Vacuum blades and rib cracking open handed palm strikes abounded. The vacuum blades were particularly devastating when they severed skull from body. Kachuu Tenchin Amaguriken powered punches turned targets into powder.

Tskumoto-san's reconnaissance battalion of skeletons were quickly and efficiently devastated by the combined attacks of the Senshi and this mysterious, yet handsome, stranger. The death knight looked on from a rooftop near the battleground. "Interesting. Both of Lividicus-san's baubles are there. It seems these senshi have control of those items. And that one lad is a powder keg of power. I haven't seen such potential in generations. It will be time to up the ante." Stepping into a shadow, he disappeared.

On the street below, the Senshi swarmed around the mysterious stranger, asking a host of questions: "Who are you?" "How did you do all that?" "Are you available?" "What's your number?" The last two were asked by the continually dateless Venus and Jupiter, and were discounted as irrelevant by the rest of the Senshi.

For his part, Ranma took being surrounded by nine women dressed like a pervert's wet dream reasonably well. His eyes narrowed on the blonde with the butch hairstyle, but dismissed her as being a double to his sister. The senshi with the long green hair in the background also looked familiar, but couldn't place her. "My name's Ranma Saotome," he replied. "I'm not available, and you can't have my number.

"As for how I did that, that was my ki."

Mars gave the pigtailed martial artist a wide-eyed stare, amazed that she met someone capable of doing that. "It was like something out of anime," she said, voicing her thoughts aloud.

Ranma smiled, and gave the Senshi of Fire a nervous grin. "You wouldn't be surprised how much TV is a lot like real life. So who are you guys supposed to be, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Cheerleaders?"

Usagi gave the pigtailed boy a dark look. "No. We're the Pretty Defenders of Love and Justice," she paused long enough for the Senshi to get into one of their classic poses, "the Sailor Senshi!"

He barely suppressed his laughter at the pose. "Sure, whatever. Now if you'll excuse me…" He leapt back into the air, not wanting to get involved any further with the Senshi.

"Who was that," several of the Senshi asked. Minako and Makoto both took the opportunity to wipe the drool from their faces.

"Wow! I didn't know my little brother could do that," Haruka said, just loudly enough for Michiru and Setsuna to hear her. She saw the dreamy look in her daughter's eyes. "Hotaru, he's your uncle. That's just not right." Hotaru stuck her tongue out at her "father".

Jaws dropped, because the rest of the Senshi overheard her last statement. "What do you mean he's her uncle," Usagi asked, as the Sailors returned to their civilian identities.

"Oh boy," Haruka muttered under her breath. Like brother, like sister. "Just what I need…" She looked at her cohorts. "Ranma Saotome is my brother. My twin brother." With the exceptions of Michiru, Hotaru, and Setsuna, the rest of the Senshi made spectacular craters in the pavement.

A flurry of questions followed that statement, all about how it happen. Setsuna, off to the side, smiled at the girls. "Ladies," she said, "it happened like any other birth. It's just that Ranma is…special. His story is his own, but you can't force him to tell it."

"I'll bet he was my old sempai back during the Silver Millennium," Makoto just had to add.

"No, Makoto. Ranma was not sent forward by Serenity. He is the product of an intense martial arts training regimen that had no days off, no quarter given or taken, because none of it existed in his master's heart. He has spent the last two years fighting all manner of martial artists…"

"Oh! Now I remember him. He was on the cover of _Weird Tokyo_ after they reported some troll terrorizing Nerima on panty raids. They even had odds from his manager on his fights with someone named Ryouga," Makoto said.

"Yeah, I remember that issue," Haruka said. "I think I even bet on Ryouga... What, Michiru?" Haruka began rubbing where her lover slapped her.

"So that's where the money went to? You said you lost it."

"I did. It's just that I lost it betting against my brother. I'll know better next time."

"You'll do no such thing, or you'll be sleeping on the couch. For eternity."

"Ok, ok."

"I needn't remind you that most of you have a test in the morning. And that it is very important that you pass this test," Setsuna said, reminding them. The Senshi quickly scattered, heading home.

------

Ranma leapt through the window into his bedroom. His mother may not appreciate his unorthodox entry method, but it beat leaving the front door unlocked if he forgot his keys. He changed quickly, and went to bed with dreams of Setsuna and the green haired Senshi. His mother was already asleep, so he didn't have to tell her why he was so late from his fight.

------

Superintendent Kuno walked into the office of Juuban High, and could tell that something was odd. The office staff was clustered around Setsuna Meiou, normally the cold fish of the school. More specifically, they were ogling her engagement ring. "Meiou-san, may I have a word with you in private?"

"Of course, Kuno-san," Setsuna replied, coolly. She excused herself from her coworkers, and went into her office, with Kuno following.

"Meiou-san, I notice that you are wearing an engagement ring, correct?"

"Have you known me to wear any jewelry at all, Kuno-san?"

"Of course not. I assume it's from Saotome?" Setsuna kept her mouth shut. "From your silence, then I take it the ring was from him. Board policy neither condones nor acknowledges a faculty member being married to a student, as long as it can be maintained professionally within academic environment.

"Of course, I have no problem if the marriage occurs by the end of the week," Kuno said, the barest hint of a smirk on his face. "If it doesn't you have two options, Meiou-san. First, break off the engagement, or second, leave Juuban School District."

"I understand, Kuno-san," Setsuna replied. She was keeping her voice at that "I know what I'm doing, because I can be so mysterious" level she normally used with the Senshi.

"I'm glad you do, Meiou-san. And congratulations on your engagement," he said. The last was said with a sneer.

With her door closing, Setsuna sat down heavily in her chair. "How is it that he knows what's going on in my private life," she asked herself. "It's almost as if he has a ninja either following Ranma or me." She chuckled darkly with her next statement. "And it's not like I can see this in the Gates of Time. Everything dealing with my fiancé clouds it up so I can't see the immediate future." She sighed in frustration, and let her thoughts dwell on him.

Ranma, on the other hand, was having a difficult time trying to stay awake during his classes. Even though he was getting more sleep at night without worrying about being attacked; it's just with the teachers droning on and on in that boring, monotonous tone that put the pigtailed martial artist to sleep. Of course, he'd wake up when the bell rang, and stay awake for roll call, but he'd go right back to sleep. His belief was that if he could learn it on his own, he didn't need to sit in a classroom all day. And for that reason, he missed his tutor at the Dojo. At least the Lieutenant made it interesting for him to learn.

One of the things on his mind was his meeting with the Senshi. It probably could have gone better, but tact was never his strong point. Two of the Senshi stood out in his thoughts, though. The blonde with the butch cut and the one with the long green hair. He only knew of two people with those particular hair colors and styles. His sister and Setsuna. Plus, Setsuna had said that she had a secret to tell him, and if it weren't for Ryouga attacking them, she would have told him it. His ruminations were interrupted by the PA system. "Saotome Ranma, report to Meiou-san's office."

"Sensei," he asked, waking up. His teacher nodded, and the pigtailed martial artist was out the door.

Setsuna looked up at the door at the knocking. "Come in," she called, and her fiancé hesitantly entered.

"You wanted to see me, Meiou-san," he said cautiously, as he closed the door. Living with Nabiki for two years had taught him when to be wary of listening devices.

"Relax Ranma. The room is clean," she said. After all, how could she counsel the Senshi if her room was bugged. Ranma almost literally took her seriously as he collapsed in the chair across from her desk. "Rough day?"

"Nah. You said to relax. What's up?" He countered with his roughish smile.

"My prediction was correct. We need to be married by the end of the week."


	6. Chaptre the 6th

Ranma was looking at his emerald-haired fiancée, a pleasant little fantasy going through his mind, involving her and a sailor fuku so high that it didn't leave what color or style of panties she was wearing to the imagination. He was pulled out of his semi-erotic daydream when Setsuna said: "My prediction was correct. We need to be married by the end of the week."

"What do you mean 'Married by the end of the week'?" The pigtailed martial artist questioned.

"It's either that or we break off the engagement or I move to a different district. Superintendent Kuno was quite adamant about it."

Ranma muttered darkly under his breath about the Kuno Clan. "Well, then I guess we'll just have to have a civil ceremony then. Not enough time to have a traditional ceremony."

"That's what I was thinking," Setsuna replied. "Although I know someone whose grandfather has a shrine, so we still have the option for a traditional ceremony." There was a hint of a shudder in her voice. She had no real desire to be in a wedding kimono, appear meek and subservient to her husband before her friends and in-laws.

"Alright; ask her about using the shrine. I'd rather have a nontraditional wedding as well," Ranma muttered. "Mom'll be thrilled either way though." The rest of the school day was spent with the two discussing wedding plans, quickly going over guest lists, and witnesses.

As the final bell rang, Setsuna looked at her fiancé. "Ranma," she said, "there's something I have to tell you."

"Is it what you were trying to tell me last night?" Setsuna nodded. "Look, Suna-chan, I don't care if you have a Jusenkyo curse that turns you into some sort of tentacle monster or you're Sailor Absurdity or something like that. I've told you just how screwed up my life is. It would be par for the course. I love you far too much to let that be a problem."

Setsuna relaxed in her seat. He didn't care about what she was going to tell him. Still, she took a sip from her ever-present cup of tea to calm herself. "Ranma, what I have to tell you doesn't go beyond this room. It could be detrimental many people." Ranma nodded. She took a deep, calming breath, since her stomach was all aflutter. "I am Sailor Pluto, Ranma, the Senshi of Time."

"Oh wow! So that's why you…she…" Ranma babbled on until Setsuna walked around her desk and kissed her pigtailed aquatransexual fiancé. He recovered his wits when he felt her lips on his, her arms around him. He relaxed, and returned her kisses with equal fervor.

"Do you feel better, Ranma?" Setsuna asked, breaking off their kiss.

"Yeah. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Ranma."

"The blonde with the butch haircut that I met last night—is that Haruka?"

"She is."

------

Ranma walked into his home, a number of things weighing him down. The biggest was the remainder of the fiancée mess. Granted, he'd left them all behind when he moved back with his mother. One was removed from consideration by her tribe, but that left the other three. His father would do anything to force him to marry a Tendo, and with Kasumi engaged to Lt. Marx and Nabiki with her redheaded lover (he'd finally gotten that "talk" from Nodoka, and understood why his cursed form received all those looks from the middle Tendo) that left Akane. He was unable to suppress a shudder at a life being married to that particular Tendo.

Ukyo was another matter entirely. He liked her, but, as he told Nodoka, as his sister. He'd have to talk his mother into adopting her into the clan. That should sate her honor and her father's request that she become a Saotome. She may not like it, but Ukyo had to see it as her best option.

Kodachi was just plain nuts, and would probably go after Setsuna just in spite. Her brother, on the other hand, would go after him for enslaving another "fair maiden" with his "sorcerous ways" and "foul black magics". And the Kunos weren't exactly under the impression that they were within the law.

"Ranma, is there anything wrong?" His mother asked as he walked into the kitchen, a bit of concern in her voice.

The pigtailed martial artist sat down on the stool next to the counter, and pursed his lips. "Yeah, there is. Suna-chan and I have to get married by the end of the week, otherwise we have to break up or she looses her job at Juuban."

"Oh dear. That sounds dreadful. What's your decision; are you going through with it?"

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, it is. We're gonna do it; Suna-chan is going to check on the availability of a Shinto temple."

"I'm proud of you, son. You've grown up so much since you moved back in. So when am I going to have grandchildren?"

"Mom…" Ranma growled.

"You're sister already has a daughter. I just hope she and her lover can have lots more." Nodoka had that gleam in her eye, with her desire for lots of grandchildren to spoil.

"Mom!" Ranma shouted, pulling his mother out of a pleasant little daydream of lots of grandchildren.

"Yes?"

"There's something I want you to do. When I marry Setsuna, I'm marrying into her clan. That'll take care of Pop's strain on my honor."

"I understand. At least you won't be ronin. What would you like me to do?"

"I'd like you to adopt Ukyo into the clan. I think that will be sufficient to sate her damaged honor from Oyaji's honorless actions when we were six."

"I'll talk to her father then. I'm glad to see you thinking about others, and trying to solve their problems, but Ranma, you need to realize that you can't solve all the world's ills."

"I know Mom. It's just that Ukyo has been my best friend since I was six. I'm just sick and tired of seeing her hurt by my problems and Pop's fat belly." He took a sip from the glass of milk his mother had set in front of him, as he nibbled on a chocolate chip cookie.

Nodoka took the opportunity of seeing her son in thought to change the subject back to the wedding. "So who are you planning on inviting to the wedding?"

"Well, Suna-chan's inviting a bunch of her students and maybe their parents. I was going to ask Lt. Marx to be my best man. I know its short notice, but I also know he doesn't have a hidden agenda. Heck, when I was over at the Tendo's, he tutored both Akane and I with our studies."

"He sounds like such a 'manly man' to have inspired you. I'd like to meet him some day."

"Sure. I need to make some phone calls." As he reached for the phone to call Kasumi's fiancé at his unit, the phone rang. "Moshi, moshi, Saotome-ke," he said.

"_Hello Ranma. I have some good news. We have the use of the shrine for Friday. The priest will also marry us._"

"That is good news, Suna-chan," he replied. "I was just about to see if I could get a best man for the wedding. Who's going to be your maid of honor?"

"_Why your sister, of course._" Ranma could almost hear her smirk over the phone. "_I've known her the longest, after all._" They talked for a while longer, refining their plans for the wedding, now that they knew they at least had someplace to get married. Getting a reception hall and caterer on such short notice though, would prove to be the next challenge.

------

The office phone rang just as Marx was pulling on his flight jacket. He was racking up enough hours bouncing around the various PACAF bases, that the wing commander granted him flight crew status. One of the nice things about being back office was that he had normal business hours, even though it made the commute from Nerima to Tachikawa hell. At least he didn't have to respond with his lights and sirens yet. The phone kept ringing, making it an indicator that SrA. Hutton had left for the night. He picked up the modern annoyance. "374th Security Forces, Lieutenant Marx, how may I help you, sir/ma'am?"

"_Lieutenant, its Ranma,_" the voice on the other end said. "_I have a favor to ask._"

"Sure, what is it?"

"_I'd…like you to be my best man on Friday._"

"I take it you're getting married?"

"_Yeah. But this isn't one of Oyaji's schemes. I…actually proposed to her of my own free will._"

"I'm impressed, you've grown up Ranma. Somehow, getting out of here was a good idea. Granted Soun and your father are calling you honorless for bailing out of their agreement to unite the families, and Akane's been on a spending spree since your fianc…former fiancée's attacked her and almost destroyed the dojo.

"Kasumi and I are taking over as heads of the household since Soun is incapable of doing so. The only problem is that he wants us married by the end of the month, otherwise he's kicking Kasumi out of the family."

"_That sucks. It sounds like something my old man would do._"

"Yeah, I know. But we're going to go ahead with it, since we were going to get married anyway."

"_Congratulations._"

"Thanks. Yeah, I'll be your best man. Just let me know when and where."

"_Oh, one other thing. Do me a favor and try not to scare anyone. It'd be bad enough to try to explain that you're actually a silver dragon._"

"I'll keep my fear aura damped down for the wedding. But I can make no promises."

------

With the wedding only a few hours away, Ranma was a ball of nerves at school, not that he'd admit it. His sister and Michiru would have picked up on it, if they weren't out of school getting ready for the wedding. The Senshi were also out getting primped for wedding. It was with great relief when the office released him from classes at lunch.

Marx was waiting for him at the Hikawa Shrine, wearing his mess dress uniform, although the jacket was hanging up. "You ready, Ranma?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," the pigtailed martial artist replied. He adjusted his hakama and sash, as Marx shrugged into his jacket, his medals jingling against each other. They walked out of the room they were in, and towards the chapel.

Setsuna was cursing under her breath with every step she took. The formal wedding kimono she was wearing had been deliberately designed to make her take short, mincing steps, watching as she walked. It gave the Senshi of Pluto the appearance that she was the proper, demure Japanese housewife. Ranma's sister walked beside her as maid of honor, almost helping her brother's fiancée along. Setsuna looked up at her fiancé. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Ranma-kun?"

Ranma swallowed hard, and nodded. "I've told you I love you Setsuna. And if this is the only way to keep the administration off our back, and my former fiancées out of the picture, by getting married now, then let's do it." Haruka and Marx nodded to each other, and escorted the couple in.

The wedding was mercifully, for Setsuna, short. The only reminding she needed was that Ranma was marrying into her clan, so she was to begin the exchanging of the wedding vows and rings. Add to the fact that none of Ranma's rivals or former fiancées, save one, showed up made for a pleasant wedding ceremony.

The reception, unfortunately, was pot luck, held at the Shrine. Makoto, Nodoka and Kasumi provided the appetizers and main courses. And while the wedding was pleasant, the reception turned ugly—in the form of one ancient perverted master of martial arts, who was in the area on one of his usual panty raids. "Woo hoo! Look at all the pretty ladies!" He cried as he bounced between Senshi and guests, copping feels and stealing undergarments.

"Happosai," Ranma growled when the perverted gnome landed on Setsuna's chest, "get off my wife!"

"Now, now, Ranma you know that you should show proper respect to your master by allowing me to properly greet her into the family." He looked up at Setsuna's eyes. "Not that big, but very nice, pretty lady."

The pigtailed former Saotome charged his nemesis. The old pervert leapt down from his perch, and continued his rain of terror. Nine naked, twirling light shows later, the Sailor Senshi charged after their accoster, without regard to who saw them change.

"Mercury aqua rhapsody!"

"Venus love and beauty shock!"

"Moon spiral heart attack!"

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

"Silence Glaive Surprise!"

"World Shaking!"

"Deep Submerge!"

"Dead Scream!"

"Moko Takabisha!" The Senshi looked at Ranma. "What? The old freak interrupted my wedding."

Happosai was dodging and weaving the various magical girl attacks, when the ball of confidence ki slammed into the perverted master of Anything Goes. "Curse you, Ranma," he shouted as he sailed through several privacy walls, "I'll get you for this outrage!"

The Senshi looked at the guests standing there with looks of shock and amazement on their faces. "Oh boy," they said as one, "we're in trouble."

Nodoka looked at Uranus and asked "Haruka?"

The mentioned Senshi looked at her mother with an embarrassed look on her face. "Hi Mom. Sorry about this," she said, as she and the rest of the Senshi went back to their civilian identities.

Nodoka ignored the fact that her daughter was dressed in Happosai's idea of a wet dream, and swept her up into a hug, gushing all the time. 'My daughter is so manly," she said. That statement brought about some raised eyebrows. "Haruka, I assume that your lover and daughter are also…"

"Yeah, Mom. It's kind of a family thing," Haruka replied, with a sheepish look on her face.

Ranma looked at his wife. "I guess Murphy just loves my family."

Setsuna, back in more comfortable clothes, looked at her husband. "You have no idea, anata," she said. "You have no idea."


End file.
